Organised: Evolution 2004, Day 5: Vito Acconci

Evolution 2004, Day 5: Vito Acconci · Friday, November 5, 2004

Ever since I saw a some of Vito Acconci’s work at the Tate in 2001 at their Century City Exhibition, I’ve been interested in his work, glancing at the odd book I come across in the library or reading references I find relating to him.

Today his introspective ability and dissection of work within the context of a given theme, ‘Performing Architecture’, was truly remarkable, and he certainly had a lot to show for his work over the years.

Me with Vito -5th Nov 2004.

I have to say when I first saw photographs of his work Seedbed as a fledgling mutimedia art student visiting the Tate, I was shocked for a few seconds and slightly bemused after reading the notice beside it.. Im not even sure it registered with me beyond my notes. but it must have done because I remembered that particular work up to this day, and I think thats the power of his work, very minimal and simple, yet to the point and effective.

I think his work also epitomises Sol Lewit’s 33 sentence on Conceptual art .

It is difficult to bungle a good idea.

In many of his earlier works he doesnt rely on props, this is particularly clear when he uses the medium of writing to map performance of say, ‘a speech’. Not with its content but by performance cues alone.

or the simple use of a blindfold and earplugs in many of the other pieces where he’s exploring issues relating to the artists body
trust, performance and the relationship to the audience.

Acconci blindfolded, being targetted by balls.

Acconci on the Pier blindfolded with a person he doesnt trust.

Getting back to his performances. In 2001 even though I thought Seedbed and its description was just as interesting as his Streetworks, Im not ashamed to say I couldnt properly explain the reasoning behind the work for myself let alone anyone else. I merely experienced ‘reading the description’ and making a note on my handheld.

I mean its not every day you find an artist who opts to crawl under the raised flooring of an empty gallery space and masturbate in an effort to explore the relationship between the artist, performance and space. But I feel I can intelligently explain Acconci’s reasons having heard him talk about his work. Whether some of thats due to being accustomed to artspeak, increased perception or a combination of those factors is irrelavant.

What was actually really striking was how consistent his work was.. and how well he could express himself.. My new benchmark for Luminaries ;)

From the conceptual work, through to the film and installation work and now his Architectural practice..It seemed like he was distinctly exploring themes that could be mapped onto each other.

Art as a presentation of self to others
Art as an exchange

Private & Public Spaces as exchanges
(Architecture as an exchange, manifesting itself in the Private and Public formations and the way people interact with architecture.)
Becoming Part of a Space. (As in seedbed and in many of his architectural works. where the boundaries between inner and outer space were blurred, interchangeable and fulflling dual roles.)

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Evolution 2004 Day 5

Tate Century City 2001 New York

The Urban Stage

‘Each day, I pick out a different person, at random, in the street, any location: I follow that person as long as I can …’ To performance artist Vito Acconci, the city offered a protective cloak of anonymity and the possibility for chance encounters. In one of his most notorious works Seedbed, he hid beneath a wooden ramp in the Sonnabend Gallery and masturbated while talking to the visitors walking above.

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